TROPES I LOVED:
🌶️ Enemies-to-lovers
🌶️ Forced proximity
🌶️ Sports romance
🌶️ Grumpy sunshine
🌶️ Slow burn
🌶️ Workplace romance (sports star 🏈 vs journalist 🖋️)
🌶️ Found family
Review:
Bella North nailed it with this one. I adored this story—it gave me total Never Been Kissed vibes with the newspaper/journalist angle, and I was hooked from the start.
The audiobook was a standout! The dual narration was beautifully done, and honestly? Hearing Jake's voice in my ears was a full-on experience. The narrators brought so much emotion and chemistry—it made the story hit even harder.
Now let’s talk characters:
Jake is so much more than a star football player. He’s compassionate, grounded, and deeply invested in helping others, especially kids dealing with loss. That man has a massive heart, and it showed in all the best ways.
Harper stole my heart too. I loved her resilience, her passion, and her slow journey back to love. That said, I do wish she’d stood up for herself sooner—especially when it came to her dad. Her insecurities were understandable but tough to watch at times.
Overall, this was a sweet, heartfelt, and totally swoony romance. If you’re into sports romances with substance and chemistry, definitely give this one a shot.
And the audiobook? Absolute 🔥🔥🔥. Highly recommend!

Sadly, this one didn’t quite work for me. I had two main struggles: the premise and the audiobook narration.

On the story side, I had a hard time suspending disbelief—how could someone be best friends with a person in high school, yet none of that friend’s family recognize her later on? It started the book off on a shaky note, and the writing didn’t quite pull me back in, especially with the reliance on miscommunication and a third-act breakup. An author recently mentioned to me that publishers are becoming less likely to accept romances that hinge on miscommunication without real weight or resolution, since readers are less tolerant of it—and I definitely felt that here.

As for the audiobook, the narration by Andi Arndt and Sean Masters didn’t fit the characters for me. Their voices sounded much older than the ages of the characters, and the production itself felt less polished than what I usually expect from this publisher.

That said, if you’re a fan of sports romances and you’re simply looking for something light, fun, and a little “popcorn-y,” this could still be a good fit—especially with its September 10 release, just in time for football season.

I was fortunate to receive a complimentary ALC from Bookouture via NetGalley, which gave me the opportunity to share my voluntary thoughts.

How I Rate
Because I mostly read ARCs, I focus on how I think fellow readers with similar tastes will respond. I sometimes round up or down based on pacing, prose, or overall impact, and I try to keep my personal preferences from weighing too heavily.

⭐️ 1 Star – Finished, but not for me; I never DNF ARCs.
⭐️⭐️ 2 Stars – Struggled due to writing, content, or editing issues.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3 Stars – Decent read with untapped potential; recommend with some reservations.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 Stars – Really enjoyed it and would recommend for several reasons.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 Stars – Exceptional; lingers in my mind well after reading. A story I’d gladly revisit.

Thank you Net gallery for this ARC
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Score to Settle, a romance book,
where Harper,a journalist trying to keep her job, is sent on a mission for 5 weeks to try and find out the truth about the famous football player, Jake, who is known about only two things : football and woman. But there is only one problem, Harper kneaw Jake before the fame since High school and she wants her revenge.

I think the narrators and the story/characters really fit together. I could really imagine the character sounding that way and you can really feel the story while listening to it. For me the pacing was really good and I Love how It's a dual narrated audiobook.Jake and Harper really fit together and I wish there was more of there highschool flashback. I find that in the ending that the both characters find peace and understanding to themselves really impotent. I really liked the side character and can't wait for the second book that is coming out in January.(And maybe we get a book about James mama and dad).

Enemies to lovers
Small town
Forced proximity
Football player MMC
Journalist FMC

Duet Narration- Sean Masters & Andy Arndt
Fantastic narration. Loved them together.

Jake is a star football player that had a reputation that doesn’t paint him in the best light. Sports magazine assigns a journalist to do a piece on him and he isn’t thrilled. It could be good for his image tho…

Harper is a junior journalist on probation period at the magazine that she fudged her resume to get. She gets the assignment for the article on Jake. She is not happy about it, why? Because she hates him. Back in high school he was a jerk and unknowingly broke her heart.

Spending 5 weeks living with and interviewing you ex crush who is known as a playboy and who broke your heart in high school? Sure why not. What could go wrong?

This is an addicting book. I loved these characters so much

I loved every moment of listening to this book. The story is swoon worthy, the characters are relatable and the spice is *chefs kiss*.
The narrator’s were brilliant, I love a good duet narration and this one fully hit the mark.
I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

Thank you for letting have the chance to read this amazing ARC book and I loved every single about this book!!! It was beautiful written sports enemies to lovers!!!

Score To Settel was everything I needed it to be.

Harper is a sports reporter at a new job. While in a probationary period. She gets a chance to write a piece on the Playboy football tight end. What she does not tell her editor... She was in love with him in high school, but he broke her heart.

Jake is a tight end in the NFL. He has a playboy reputation. That reputation could cost him his career. He has 5 weeks to get it together, since Harper will shadow him for her

As someone who loves football, it was a great story.

Harper's character is so relatable, and Jake is HOT!

-Slow Burn

- forced proximity

enemies to lovers

-found family

📖 5 🌟
🎧 4.5🌟
📆 Release date September 10th, 2025
Audiobook review:
Duet Narration: Andi Arndt & Sean Masters
Good voice differentiation. The only ones that didn't have very much differentiation were Mama and Harper. Overall the narrators brought great personality and emotion to all of the characters.
I personally found the pacing to be just a little slow. I increased it to 1.25x on my player and found it to be just right for myself.
Each chapter and section is noted making the flow of the book easy to follow and kept the story moving forward quickly.
🏈 Journalist x Football star
🏈 Grumpy x Sunshine
🏈 Forced proximity
🏈 Second chance
🏈 Found Family
🏈 Spicy 🔥
I would definitely recommend this book as an audiobook! ❤️
I definitely look forward to reading/buying future books by Bella North.
Thank You to NetGalley, Bookouture, and Bella North for an ARC of this audiobook. 📖🎧❤️

Wow.
I honestly loved this book, the character development from start to finish was incredible. It was a slow burn which at first I wasn’t sure about but once I was hooked that was it, I was invested. I could feel the tension through the screen between the characters and the spice!! Had me kicking my feet. Obsessed. While I loved everything about the story I would’ve loved to see abit more into the relationship further in the future aswell as exploring some of the relationships with the side characters. Overall- A really nice, spicy and easy read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for the ALC.

Story:4.5⭐
Narration:5⭐
Total score rounded up to 5⭐

Firstly, Andi Arndt and Sean Masters did a phenomenal job with bringing the story and characters to life.

This is a beautiful story of growth and healing for both our teenage and adult selves. This is funny grumpy/sunshine mixed with enemies to lovers which gives you all the feels. I love how the author used the slow burn trope to build the angst and tension between the MCs. If you love a sport romance mixed with the above tropes then you will eat this up!
I can't wait for book 2!

**⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | A satisfying enemies-to-lovers sports romance with heart and heat**

*Score to Settle* by Bella North kicks off a promising new series with a story that blends emotional depth, personal growth, and sizzling chemistry.

Jake Sullivan is a high-profile football player known for his playboy image—an image that’s frequently splashed across media sites. Harper Cassidy, a driven journalist determined to make a name for herself, has a long-standing grudge against Jake, her high school crush. Years ago, a heartfelt note she left in his locker was copied and circulated, leaving her humiliated. Now, tasked with writing a feature on Jake, Harper intends to expose the arrogant player she remembers.

But what follows is a slow-burn romance that feels earned. I appreciated that the relationship between Jake and Harper wasn’t based on insta-love or shallow attraction. Both characters have depth and history, and watching them confront their past and slowly peel back each other’s layers was genuinely rewarding.

As the first in a series, *Score to Settle* sets the tone nicely, and I’m definitely looking forward to seeing where the next book takes us.

**Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Hachette Audio for the ARC

🎧 AUDIOBOOK REVIEW 🎧

4 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Score to Settle was such an entertaining listen! The story pulled me in right away and kept me invested from beginning to end. I really enjoyed the mix of drama, emotion, and tension between the characters—it made the plot move quickly and kept me hooked.
What stood out most for me, though, were the narrators. They brought so much energy and personality to the story, making the characters feel real and the emotions more impactful. Their performances elevated the entire audiobook experience and made it even more enjoyable.
Overall, this was a solid 4-star listen—engaging, well-written, and beautifully performed. I’ll definitely be looking out for more by Bella North and by these narrators!

4.5 stars, see below, rounded up because the story made me laugh and smile, lots. Sometimes I just want an easy to listen to audio book. This is that. Journalist intern, Harper, has all the insecurities of her teenage self. who was let down by the American football player she is now spending five weeks with in order to write an in-depth article. It’s obvious what’s going to happen. But that’s fine, sort of the point of these sorts of books, and it gets there with lots of humour, and an almost believable story. A story which is really about two people, let down by lots of others as they have grown up, who are not the people the world sees them as.
Plenty of adult spice, much of which I don’t think is actually needed. However, interestingly the character Harper, along with her journalism job, is writing a sexy vampire book and hints that writing the sexy vampire story makes her happy. So if writing sexy romance novels makes Bella North happy why should my thoughts make any difference. And Im fine with that too.
However, one thing did irk me a little. Almost at the end we are shown that Harper finds out something about Jake. This didn’t feel right considering their first few days at The Ranch. So half a star off.
Finely never work for a company who’s PR Department can’t see through some one-sided rubbish without checking it out. Thank you to Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for the audio ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.

Score to Settle is a fast pace, cosy read that contains all the feels. Harper, Jake and the crew not only feel so real and as if I have known them my whole life, I wanted nothing more than to sit and spend my entire weekend with them listening to their story every chance I got. The audio sucked me in, feeling the feels, crying, laughing, awing along their love story and ultimately found family as they battled with their demons and face their grief and previous manipulations - Sprinkle in some Mama to help Jake and Harper realise what it is that really matters at the end of the day.

Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture Audio for an advance copy in return for an honest review.

Thank you to Bella North and NetGalley for a chance to review this ALC!

Tropes
Forced Proximity
NFL + Sports journalist
Found family
One bed
Duet narration

What a fantastic debut! I'm wholly in my sports romance era, and I easily listened to this whole book in the course of a single day and enjoyed every minute of it! Our story follows Jake Sullivan, a NFL player with a playboy reputation in desperate need of fixing before it ruins his career and Harper Cassidy, a budding author and sports magazine reporter. I immediately fell in love with Jake and Harper - the banter and chemistry was fantastic right from the start and felt very natural and organic, allowing the story to unfold at a good pace. I loved getting to know Jake's family - shout out to Mama for being so amazing to all her boys and opening her home to Harper. My only two critics was I felt the miscommunication trope was a bit much and could have been used less, and I felt the book ended rather abruptly. I found myself shouting - that's it?! - at the end, wondering what happened after the play-offs and see where Jake and Harper ended up months down the road. Perhaps we could get a bonus epilogue at some point. Pretty please!

Audiobook
This book was narrated by Andi Arndt and Sean Masters as a duet narration, and it was perfect!!! Chef's kiss!! I could not have asked for a better narration, and I believe I enjoyed this story even more given these two narrators/duet narrations. I'm hoping that the next book will also have duet narration as well. I will definitely be using one of my Audible credits to buy this book on release day.

This is just what I needed! Fun and lighthearted with plenty of spice and actual connection between the characters!
Thanks NetGalley for letting me read /listen and review!

The narrators were ♥️♥️😅

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I had the chance to read an early copy of Score to Settle by Bella North, and let me tell you—this book has everything. From page one, the tension between Jake and Harper had me hooked. The mix of small-town ranch life, NFL drama, and years-old heartbreak made their dynamic feel so real and addictive. I loved how Harper wasn’t afraid to challenge Jake at every turn, and watching him slowly drop the playboy façade to reveal the vulnerable guy underneath? Absolutely swoon-worthy. The tropes are perfection—enemies to lovers, forced proximity, grumpy/sunshine, sports romance, and even a dash of found family that gave me all the feels. The chemistry is slow-burn but sizzling, the banter is sharp, and the emotional payoff is SO worth it. Score to Settle is the kind of romance that leaves you smiling, swooning, and a little bit wrecked in the best way. I can already tell this is going to be one of my favorites of the year. Fans of Elsie Silver, Liz Tomforde, and Stephanie Archer will devour this. Can’t wait for everyone else to meet Jake and Harper when this publishes—it’s a total touchdown. 🏈💫 Note: This is an adult romance with on-page spice. Recommended for readers 18+.